Romance Author Interview – Ariella Talix

About Ariella Talix:
I've chosen to write under a pseudonym in order to protect the dignity of those whom I love. Ariella Talix evolved as my alter-ego when I became inspired to write novels that are erotic in nature. It's great fun to write the books, though I sometimes feel a little bit like the Great Oz hiding behind a curtain.

I am a regular wife and mother who lives in the Midwest. Many of my characters also choose the Midwestern lifestyle over a more exotic or sophisticated locale. I haven't always lived here, having grown up in southern California and living for a while in Europe. But I love it here.

My earliest goal in life was to become a writer, but I was sidetracked in college when I decided I didn't like the courses that were offered, so I became an artist instead- my other great love. For many years I have pursued that career in various ways. Again, I have used that experience in my books because it's fun (and smart) to write about what you know. Artists of all sorts show up in the books. They make for wonderfully colorful people!

What inspires you to write?
I've always loved a good romance story. In the past several years, the trend has shifted to some pretty hot material, and I thought reading it was a lot of fun. Then one night, I had an epiphany that set in motion my own debut novel, Make Believe. The plot changed around a bit from that first brainstorm, but the backbone was there. I just sat down and started writing and writing.

For anyone who's read Make Believe, the two scenes that smacked me in the head and told me to write the book were the scene in the bar and the wedding scene. From those two ideas, I created the rest of the book. The books after that have been a sequel and a spin-off with more coming.

I also love to include pets in the books, so animals are important characters in each story.

Tell us about your writing process.
I am definitely a "pantser" when I write. I may mull things over in my head a lot, but when I sit down at the computer, it's almost like taking dictation. The words sometimes almost surprise me. The most fun of all to me is writing a conversation. It's important to make the dialogue fit the characters, and they are such real people in my head, I can hear them talking. (I hope that doesn't sound too weird!)

I have had to learn, however, that even though something may be well written, it doesn't always advance the plot or belong in the book. So… poof! Entire pages disappear into nothing, and I rewrite a better scene. It stings a tiny bit, but it's worth it, in the long run, to be realistic that not all words belong just because I've written them.

I've been known to set down an outline only when I need to figure out a timeline and people's ages. The rest of the time, I can't be bothered. At first, I'd jot down ideas in a small file, but I'd forget to look at it for ages, and when I'd go back finally and read them, the book had gone in a completely different direction anyway. So now that just seems like extra work.

I tend to write all over the house- usually with the "help" of a dog at my side.

How do you develop your characters?
I don't really know at first except in the vaguest of terms. I like to develop a relationship with the characters the same way a reader would as the story advances. The exception to this would probably be David Drummond in the second book, The Designer. His story just grabbed my heart from the get-go as I imagined him learning about his true background and finally achieving acceptance for his incredible talents.

My characters are definitely noisy in my head when they are helping me out.